Misa Hylton, the mother of Diddy’s eldest son Justin, has spoken out about the disturbing footage showing the rapper physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. In an emotional social media post, Hylton says the video reopened painful wounds from her own past trauma.
“I am heartbroken that Cassie must relive the horror of her abuse, and my heart goes out to her. I know exactly how she feels, and through my empathy, it has triggered my own trauma,” the 51-year-old fashion designer wrote. Hylton dated Diddy in the 1990s and they share 30-year-old son Justin together.
The surveillance video from 2016 showed a shirtless Diddy chasing Cassie down a hotel hallway before grabbing her hair, slamming her to the ground, kicking her limp body multiple times, and dragging her back to the room. Cassie had sued Diddy over the incident before it was settled out of court.
In her candid post, Hylton did not go into details about her own past trauma but made it clear she could relate to what Cassie had experienced. “Two of the youngest [of Diddy’s children] do not have their mother here and it has been our duty to support them,” she said, referring to her efforts co-parenting alongside the other mothers.
Hylton stated her belief that Diddy “needs help” and said she is “praying that he truly does the personal work and receives it.” The rapper did enter therapy and rehab after the 2016 incident, according to sources close to him.
The iconic designer and mother also shared a photo of all five of Diddy’s children, writing “These young people were raised by women that want the best for them – we put God and education first and have always been united in our mutual effort to support their dreams.”
Her emotional statement comes just days after Diddy himself broke his silence in a social media video expressing disgust at his own behavior in the assault footage. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video, I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, I am disgusted now,” he said.
However, Cassie’s lawyer dismissed the apology video as “pathetic, desperate, and disingenuous.” The lawyer pointed out that just five months ago, Diddy had proclaimed his innocence and accused Cassie of only seeking a “payday” with her lawsuit against him.
While Diddy claims he has been working on himself through therapy and rehab, Hylton’s heartfelt words make it clear the women in his life are still grappling with trauma from his past actions. Her statement is a powerful reminder that domestic violence has far-reaching impacts, especially on those who have survived abusive situations themselves. As a supportive co-parent, Hylton is using her voice to validate Cassie’s experience and her own lingering pain.